


The Lunchbreak

by DestinyandChicken



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Charles in a Wheelchair, Charles is ill, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Erik is a Sweetheart, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Protective Erik, Terminal Illnesses, charles becomes bald, married gay mutants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-04-10 22:08:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4409588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyandChicken/pseuds/DestinyandChicken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He didn’t even know what had started it, but somehow not long after their early morning alarm had gone off, Erik was in between his legs, sucking on his collarbone and the two were giggling like mad and moaning quietly. It wasn’t until after when Erik untwined his fingers from Charles’ hair and several chunks came away with it that the laughter stopped along."</p><p>The road to Charles Xavier becoming the old, bald, wise man we know and respect today was a difficult path, but when you have a husband that will build you ramps and bring soup to you, it makes it so much easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I was originally going to post this around Comic-con when we first saw James' shaved head but been a tad busy. Here's a little something inspired by it!

It’s at this time of week when Charles finds himself with a bit of alone time. In between the mayhem of his timetable, he finds himself with a small period where there are no lessons, the kids are down for a nap and Erik is teaching his own students, graciously taking on a few of Charles’.

 

Charles wheels himself over to the bathroom, his mind focused and resolved over his next course of actions. He’s done with pretending that nothing’s happening or trying to prevent the inevitable, and despite the tight feeling in his chest, there’s something good about taking things into his own hands.

 

Charles couldn’t shake the memory of Erik’s face this morning. He didn’t even know what had started it, but somehow not long after their early morning alarm had gone off, Erik was in between his legs, sucking on his collarbone and the two were giggling like mad and moaning quietly. It wasn’t until after when Erik untwined his fingers from Charles’ hair and several chunks came away with it that the laughter stopped along. The way Erik looked down at his hands with utter horror, breathing out apologies. Of course Charles didn’t blame him though.

 

In the bathroom he rolls over to the side counter, thankful that the mirror is too high for him to be able to see his own reflection as he does this. Running his hand over the counter he feels for Erik’s electric razor and pulls it towards him, plugging it in at the socket nearest his height.

 

He holds it in his hands, running his fingers over the clippers at the end and the metal body of it. Erik had hated this when he first got it, but naturally accepted it laughingly at the knowledge that Sean had panic bought it the day before Christmas and that this was the only half decent thing left in the store. Since then however, it had become useful for those days when he didn’t have time to use his barbers knives, when paperwork, two young children and a sick husband got too much for him to be able to show off his skill with them and get that clean cut Charles loves to run his lips over.

 

Taking a breath, he clicks on the razor and pushes his fringe back so he can access the roots more easily. Charles lifts the razor but it stays in transit, hovering parallel to his forehead, his wrist shaking precariously. He switches it off and clutches his stomach trying to control his nerves and the nauseous feeling building up. He wants Erik. Charles can’t help the neediness he feels now but Erik’s the only thing that can keep his head level at the moment. Only fifteen minutes and then he’ll be finished.

 

Erik had started coming to their room during break times rather than going to the staffroom, electing to eat soup in bed and read stories to the kids and chat to Charles, rather than hang out with the other teachers and discuss the recent mutant politics. All Charles’ had to do was just sit and wait.

 

From downstairs, Erik could feels the uneasiness circling through Charles’ head, radiating through the building, towards him. He couldn’t tell if his students could feel it too, but nothing seemed to unnerve them too much from their studies and he and Charles’ mental connections had always been so strong, even when he used to resists it. Not knowing whether to pry or let Charles’ have some alone time, he resolved to head back to their room punctually, not hanging behind to talk to his students about their assignments.

 

All at the academy graciously understood and shared his concern and knew when to leave them alone. It was touching really how deeply they cared for Charles, sending him food and taking on his classes, and Erik honestly can’t believe there was a time he was worried about setting up the establishment.

 

Only fifteen minutes to go and he could go and see his love and help whatever was causing these cascading waves of pain. It hurt Erik to sit and wait when he could feel the other so intimately.

 

As punctual as always, Erik opens the door at 12:34 and throws his bag on the floor, turning his attention to the warm metal he can feel in the bathroom along with the source of anguish. Charles sits in the bathroom, absentmindedly holding the razor and slowly looks up to meet Erik eyes.

 

Erik crosses the room and kneels, placing himself in between Charles’ knees, leaning forward until Charles can feel his breath on his face. He lifts Charles’ chin and looks steadily into his eyes, smiling reassuringly.

 

“Charles?” There’s a new edge to him; a newly defined seriousness that feels out of place but also fitting to him. Somewhere between rage and serenity, Erik thinks. Not even needing to look inside his head, Erik can see the cogs turning, decisions being made and the forgings of resolutions. Behind his steely glare and lips pressed together firmly, Erik can see him crumbling; the red rimmed, shiny eyes and shaking hands.

 

“I was wondering if you could help me,” Taking in a sharp breath and breaking eye contact, Charles lifts the razor, and smiles shakily. “You know it better than I do and I can’t reach the mirror. Plus, I’d probably bugger it up. You know what I’m like with new gadgets, always getting frustrated.” Erik struggles to listen to his words jittering out in attempted humour.

 

“You sure?” He lifts Charles’ chin, taking in his ever-blue eyes. Charles breathes steadily, unravelling the ball of tension coiled in his stomach. Swallowing, he nods, stilling holding on to his emotions by a thread.

 

“Yeah. I need to do this. I mean, we always knew this was going to happen one day from when I spoke to my older self. I just didn’t know what circumstances it’d be under or,” he swallows deeply, looking away as he swats a stray tear strolling down, “or how young I’d be.”

 

Erik pulls Charles forward, wrapping one arm firmly under him and one around his waist, lifting him up cautiously and carrying him up onto the bathroom counter, placing him on the side. From the reflection in the mirror, Erik can see the patches of Charles’ hair already missing, trying to deflect the memories of this morning.

 

“Well then you’ll know, liebling, that you’ll make it through. You’ve seen with your own eyes that you grow to be an old, bald man. Not many others can say they’ve seen that.” Charles pulls Erik’s shirt forward, leaning his head against his chest, breathing him in.

 

“What if I changed something though? We altered everything when we stopped Trask and you came home with me. What if something I’ve done, or the way I’ve lived has changed my life drastically-” Erik presses his lips to Charles’, firm and passionately, licking his top lip as he pulls away, looking down at his husband who looks up at him, scared, vulnerable and looking to him for hope. Erik can feel his throat tightening, the waves of Charles’ own fear cascading over to him and leaving him clinging onto his collected persona.

 

“Everything is going to be fine. I’m here with you every step of the way. Okay?” Charles looks up into Erik’s eyes, noticing the way the others eyes are dampening but still holding on for his sake. Charles nods, lifting his hand to cup Erik’s cheek, using his thumb to brush away a falling tear. He then presses the razor into Erik’s warm palm.

 

“Dry those tears darling. I want you to be able to see properly.” At this Erik puffs out a small laugh, clicking on the razor and combing Charles’ hair out of his face with his fingers. Charles memorises the feeling of Erik touching his hair and the way it makes his neck tingle. “You better still love me when I’m bald.”

 

“Always.” Erik plants one last kiss on the top of his head. “Right, here goes.” Erik starts from the front, pushing the razor back. Rich, brown hair falls, revealing a pale scalp. Charles’ clamps his eyes shut, avoiding it falling into them, but also to avoid the fear of how he imagines Erik will look at him.

 

As the front of his hair falls to the ground, Erik blows it out of Charles’ face to prevent it from itching. He goes so delicately around Charles’ ears, moving so close that Charles can feel his breath on his face and after a while he feels calmer as it lulls him back to how Erik used to do this when he shaved Charles’ face and he used to just relish having him in-between his legs and the look of concentration on his face.

 

Erik takes both his knees and pulls him forward so they are almost pressed together. Charles’ flutters his eyelids open, looking at Erik with the all-familiar impish smirk. “Last bit, Shatz.” Looking in the mirror, he guides the razor over the back of Charles’ head taking in how less ominous the baldness looks now that it’s at one with it’s surroundings.

 

Erik clicks off the razor, standing back slightly to take it in, and absentmindedly smiling down at his husband.

 

“Well?” Charles’ forehead creases as he waits for Erik’s verdict, more hopeful at the way he looks back at him.

 

“Do you know what. It isn’t half bad actually.” The corners of his lips turn up and he can’t help but break out into a full smile. He leans in for a kiss, pulling Charles close and prizing his wet, red lips apart and chasing his tongue, licking at his with a tantalizingly slow pace. _It’s going to be okay_ , he tells himself over and over again and Charles sighs into him.

 

When they pull away, Charles is flushed and still clinging onto the front of his shirt.

 

“Maybe I should have done this a while ago if I’d known it’d have this sort of

effect on you.” The two of them grin at one another, sharing the calmer feeling and communicating something in the way they looked at one another.

 

“Don’t you want to take a look?” He couldn’t tell if Charles’ was avoiding it or whether somewhere in the kiss he’d forgotten, or simply just didn’t care.

 

“Oh right, yeah. Oh god.” Twisting his torso, he takes a look in the mirror, swallowing deeply at the sight he sees. There’s something slightly hysterical about seeing himself in this way and soon he’s laughing madly, cursing under his breath as Erik looks on, confused by the sudden outburst.

 

“Charles?” The shudders of laughter soon turn to sobs as Erik cradles him, rubbing his back and planting kisses on his head. Erik tries not to notice how much thinner Charles feels but with each heart wrenching cry he seems so much frailer.

 

“I don’t look like myself,” Charles wails, his breathing coming out heavy and each seeming to crumble him further. “I don’t look like the man I was before and I don’t look like the man I’m supposed to be. I’m so pale and tired looking.” Erik can’t think of anything to say, his throat tightening and his eyes stinging. He simply pulls his love forward, cradling his small frame, choosing to let Charles get it all out.

 

Charles tries to take control, breathing in and out at a steady pace, concentrating on the circles Erik draws on his back.

 

“I wanted to be him so hard. I needed- I seem so calm and collected in the future and I just needed to feel I was becoming him or that I had some of his- my control. I need to be him. I can’t do this.” Erik lifts his chin, looking deep into his eyes with concern and he suddenly finds something to say.

 

“Well you can’t suddenly become that old, bald, wise man, over night. You’re just transitioning my love and one day you’ll look back at this now and realise that this was just a chapter of your life that was part of the path that lead you to being him. And anyway, the men we were in the future didn’t have each other and certainly didn’t have children or any of the memories we have.” The two wrap their arms around each other for a small eternity as they balance each other before they have to leave this cocoon.

 

The creaking of their bedroom door and a pattering of small, soft feet is what procures them from each other. They watch as their brown haired, blue eyed wonder, emerges towards them looking up curiously at the two of them. Taking sight of Charles’ new appearance, her lower lip wobbles, eyes filling up and toddles a few steps away as if scared.

 

Charles and Erik exchange glances with calm integrity, assured of their ability to calm their daughter. Erik carries Charles out of the bathroom and sits them down on the carpet of their bedroom, facing their daughter and cradled together.

 

Shyly, Wanda wobbles forward as her fathers hold out their hands to her, smiling encouragingly. Erik plants kisses along Charles’ head to ease to confusion and cautiousness written on his daughter’s face and eventually she joins her Pop in patting her Daddy’s head.

 

On the bed, they’re joined by another orange haired child, the four of them sitting and eating their cheese sandwiches and tomato soup as between them, Charles and Erik recite the Hobbit, putting their children in hysterics as they create the voices of all the characters.

 

Gulping down the last of one of his vitamin drinks, Charles drifts off into a sleep as Erik replays all his favourite memories for Charles as he sinks deeper into his pillow. And for a moment the pain in his side subsides, giving him chance to take in the happiness of these images and the soft snoring of Wanda and Jean as they curl up in his side.

 

 

 

 


	2. Eight Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Erik has ever wanted, was for him and Charles to grow old together.
> 
> This has possibly been the longest months of Charles and Erik's life, but today is where their life changes forever, the moment everything has built up to. Will it what they hoped for, or will Erik be denied of his happily ever after?

Eight Months Later.

 

Erik’s heart had not stopped beating like a running leopard for over 24 hours. It felt like the worlds longest and drawn out panic-attack which are something he’s grown fantastic at making almost undetectable to anyone else; breaths are easily concealed, sweating can be swatted away and he’s never been one for wearing his heart on his sleeve. But when the one you want to hide it from the most, can feel your mind and emotions coursing through him, there’s almost no point. Erik’s need to feel like he’s being the strong one is what keeps his crooked smiles in place and his stony face in between. It had been about 10 minutes of him sitting on the bed with one sock on, and the other in his hand, distracted by the million conflicting thoughts racing through his mind, before he felt Charles’ presence calm him. The feeling was like that of warm water covering his body, similar to being immersed into a bath, as his anxiety was washed away. He snaps out of his daze and looks over his shoulder to see Charles already in his chair, dressed as beautifully as always and giving him a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Erik reciprocates the smile but the two of them know that both of them have the same words at the tip of their tongue, but neither of them can say it.

 

_Everything is going to be okay._

It had gone past the point of making empty promises, and because they were so close to finding out whether it _would_ all be okay, it felt that it would jinx their fate.

 

Erik pulls on the other sock, stands up, and tries to steady his quivering hands before striding over to Charles. He leans down and plants a kiss on his head and the two share a moment of false smiles.

 

“You ready?” Charles doesn’t know whether Erik is asking about his state of dress, or the impending location they’re headed, but the easiest answer is just to nod.

 

“Mm hmm,” Erik sits on the edge of the bed and the two of them clasp hands. The two of them struggle to find words to say to one-another. “Jean and Wanda are down for a nap with Raven and she says she can make them tea tonight in case… if were back late or tired.” Both of them try to ignore the underlying message of what Charles said. The _in case_.

 

There’s a knock at the door and Hank pokes his head around, looking as solemn as Charles and Erik feel.

 

“Your cab is here.” Hank says. Erik nods at him as all the acid in his stomach churns and his palms sweat excessively. He looks at Charles and the two press their lips together before Erik pushes Charles towards the door.

 

The three of them walk down the corridor, into the elevator, all of which is done in near silence with passing comments that were devoid of the elephant in the room. Erik rubs his hand on Charles’ shoulder and he tries not to notice how tense he is.

 

_I love you._ Charles thinks as they travel down to the ground floor. Both of them are roughly feeling the same, sick to the stomach, and are having the same thoughts, caught up in their own, which makes it difficult to detach and really distinguish one emotion from another.

 

_I love you too._ Erik can feel his eyes burn and swallows deeply, trying to shake it off. Hank tries to avoid looking but in the reflection he can see Erik crumbling and it’s hard to image the man he once was when they first met, who struggled so much but never let it show. It’d taken years for him to learn to unburden his soul. Years and well… Charles.

 

The doors open and the three of them head down glistening wooden floorboards through the communal area where the heads of young mutants turn gravely and all give their small smiles that wish him luck in their own way; the reassurance that doesn’t really do its job. Charles knows that when he gets back there will be another dozen of flowers or chocolates waiting for him in their room, and for a brief moment he hopes he will be able to celebrate and enjoy them all.

 

Erik helps Charles get into the taxi and before he climbs in himself he looks towards Hank who stands to the side awkwardly. Charles sticks his head out of the door with his false cheeriness on display.

 

“Right. Well I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone but you’re in charge while I'm out and make sure all the students are doing quiet study.” He doesn’t know why he says all that. The students have been behaving astoundingly and eerily quite for months whilst Charles has been ill, but it felt like something normal sounding needed to be said.

 

“Will do. And… I’m sure everything will be okay. See you later.” Charles and Erik know that he wasn’t talking about the students when he said that, but the both of them are grateful to hear the words come out of someone else’s mouth. Erik climbs into the cap and the two of them begin their dreaded journey.

 

The two of them sit cocooned in the back; Charles rests his head on Erik who traces his thumb on the back of Charles’ hand, and the two if them stare out of the window and notice how there are a few flecks of snow beginning to fall.

 

The journey doesn’t feel like it lasts long enough and Erik can feel his heart beating inside like it’s trying to get out. Wide eyed, the two look at each other and nod before Erik gets out to help Charles.

 

Erik pushes Charles towards the doors of the doctors and notices the annoying step before the entrance and discreetly makes use of his powers over the metal frame of the wheelchair. Once inside it’s then Charles’ turn to use his powers; as much as it annoys the two of them and their instincts to fight injustices, in public to avoid trouble it’s much easier to get by, by making Erik look like a woman to anyone who looks. It’s difficult and pained them at first, but they learned to joke by calling him ‘Erika’ and acknowledge that if it meant they could go about together with their children and to do stuff like this, it was worth the sacrifice. Erik would do it if it meant that he could spend time with his family without them being at the brunt end of prejudice.

 

The two of them sit in the waiting room, breathing heavily and wiping their sweaty palms on their trousers. The two of them have always been very good at comfortable silences, but this isn’t one of those moments. Both of them feel like they need to say something but nothing seems right and the fear that they’re wasting precious moments makes it all the more painful.

 

The waiting room, in natural 70’s style, is a mixture of clinical whites with patches of garish green and yellows to make it seem cheerful, but it smells like plastic and cigars and disinfectant, making it feel uncomfortable and not disguising the seriousness of the place.

 

“How long did Raven say she’ll look after the kids?” Erik asks.

 

“However long we need,” Erik knew that would be the answer anyway but thinking about the kids usually put them in a more cheerful mood. “But knowing her she’ll be exhausted and wanting her freedom back in a few hours and complaining they’re demons.” Erik breathes out a small laugh and kisses the end of Charles nose.

 

“We’ll alleviate her soon enough.” At that moment, a doctor with spectacles at the end of his nose and a tight perm pokes his head around the door and calls out Charles’ name. Their hearts clench and Erik looks down at Charles to see him looking at the doctor like a deer in headlights. Erik gets behind Charles and pushes him forward. The walk feels like everything has slowed down and the noise around him echoes and muffles making Erik feel dizzy.

 

Through the door they go, Erik taking the seat and Charles next to him so they can clasp hands. The doctor sits across his wooden desk, ashtray, paperwork and family photo all in their place on top. This room is even more garish in here but it feels less clinical than the waiting room and although it’s synthetic friendliness, it is more comforting given the circumstances.

 

The doctor looks at them intensely and it’s hard for Erik to read him, whereas Charles has shut down his powers and is refusing to peek, trying to delay the inevitable. Charles can feel Erik’s pulse in his palm and holds it tighter. This is it, the moment that makes or breaks them.

 

“So Charles,” The doctor has a deep voice and shuffles his papers before continuing. Erik noticed how hard his heart is beating and is sure both of them must be able to hear it. “Well fortunately, it’s good news. The therapy was successful and you’re in complete remission. You can breath now.” Charles and Erik realise they had both been holding their breath and let it out with laughter. There are a few moments of complete shock and disbelief before Erik leans over and the two of them meet in a shaking hug, both of them on the verge of crying.

 

When they finally break apart the doctor continues to talk to them about future check ups and other information regarding the treatment, but Charles and Erik are no longer paying attention. They look into each other’s eyes, both with stupid grins and Erik full of wonder.

 

_You’re going to be okay._

_Mmm hmm._

_You’re not going to leave me._

_Never._

They wrap up talking to the doctor, thanking him, and as Erik pushes Charles out of the door, there’s no way to describe the way he feels except giddy. Once in the waiting room, Erik kneels in between Charles’ knees and the two break into a messy, tearful and passionate kiss and neither of them can remember feeling this relaxed in a long time.

 

Erik tries to capture the moment in his mind; the feeling of knowing he wasn’t going to be alone, the feel of Charles’ lips, his smooth head which he had grown used to quite quickly, and the dimples underneath his thumb that had not surfaced in such a long time. This day could have gone in such another direction and for weeks he’d spent time crying in the shower wondering how he’d tell the kids if it had been bad news, and how he couldn’t cope without Charles in his life.

 

He pulled Charles a little closer by his collar but he pulls away a little, with wet eyes that now have their twinkle back and his white teeth on show.

 

“Steady on Mr. Lensherr-Xavier, buy me dinner first.” Charles says. The two laugh together but neither of them move anywhere.

 

“It was good news.” Charles cups Erik’s face and nods, swiping her tears away.

 

“I’m not going anywhere, darling. We’re going to be okay.” Erik looks into Charles’ eyes and knows that he means the emotion toll it’s taken on him. He’d tried to be the stronger one but in reality, recently it had been Charles who had propped him up. “Like you said a while ago, I saw us as old men, and I should have trusted that, trusted my sight. This time, we get to grow old together.” Erik leans in for one more kiss, feeling the weight of the world fall from his shoulders and the two of their minds meet to share the elated feeling. “Right, let’s get out of here.” Erik pushes Charles out of the door and every step feels lighter as he does. The world around them feels much lighter and the snow outside fills him with glee and everything around him seems so filled with hope; every restaurant is somewhere for them to try, every bookstore is somewhere to take their kids for their first books or to debate over by the political memoir section, every coffee shop, to hold hands at the back where the waitresses cant see.

 

Both of them stand on the pavement looking out at the world, a little lost as to what to do with the overflowing amounts of joy they have. There is so much adrenaline coursing through Charles and he just want to _live_ and be outside, away from the room he’s been moping around for the past year.

 

“I don’t feel like going home yet, do you?” Charles says.

 

“No, I think I just want you all to myself for a while,” And Erik thinks he knows where to go. “We’ve not been to The Philosopher’s Creek in a while and that’s pretty close by.” This was Charles’ favourite café and back when they had first met they used to spend a lot of time there after they looked around museums or when they were planning their next road trip to find more mutants. Charles’ liked the dusty leather-bound books that were scattered around the place, and Erik liked to look at Charles when he looked so excited. They spent a lot of time reading papers in silence with their hands on the table almost touching, wondering if the other would be daring enough to touch it and looking at each other furtively and wondering if the other liked them in the same way.

 

“That sounds perfect. We’ve not been there in bloody ages and we could walk past the park on our way.” It’s freezing outside and Erik pulls a woollen hat with plaits on either side, and pulls it over Charles’ head, planting one more kiss on his nose.

 

“In reference to what you said inside, this is me buying you dinner first.” Charles giggles as Erik pushes him down the street and for a minute it feels like they’re young again.

 

As they walk past the park they look out at the lake that has been surrounded by trees embellished with Christmas lights that cast glowing waves upon the water. Erik smiles and projects the memory of their wedding day; after Erik had come hope with Charles after his attempted assassination of Trask, it had taken them three years to rebuild up their relationship to the point where Erik felt like he needed to make a declaration of how much he loved Charles so they could start a new chapter. In bed he proposed and made them rings out of the metal from the lamp as an engagement and they never really imagined that at this point, that it would ever be anything more than just that. That was until about another blissful year later and their first successful academic year at the newly formed school, when Erik had that urge to make it official. He had been ridiculously clever at not letting Charles know, not letting anyone except Raven and Hank know, as he knew their thoughts wouldn’t be read. One day at the beginning of summer, Charles went up to their room to find it empty except for a tuxedo on the bed and a note from Erik saying:

 

_Make yourself look dapper and meet me downstairs at 7 x_

At the time Charles had thought that they were probably going to dinner or there was an event he had forgotten about, so didn’t question it and made himself look polished and presentable. He got in the elevator and at the bottom Raven was stood looking gorgeous and dressed up in her blue form and put a blindfold over his eyes telling him not to peek into anyone’s minds. She rolled him outside and his curiosity –and panic- grew as he felt the wheels go onto the grass and down the hill. Raven took the blindfold off and Erik was stood in front of him looking stunning in a tuxedo, looking down as him with his shark grin on display. He leans down and picks Charles up, kissing him in the process, and it takes a minute for him to notice that they’re next to the lake at the bottom of the grounds and Erik is placing him in a small rowing boat. The lake had been surrounded with a million fairy lights and as Erik rowed them into the middle, Charles found himself in a daze. The two of them were alone, spinning gently around as Erik said his prepared vows and Charles relied on how loquacious he was to make his up on the spot. It wasn’t conventional but neither were they and even though the world would not recognise their marriage, it felt real to them. They exchanged wedding rings, kissed under the summer moon and Erik popped open a bottle of champagne as they laughed and kissed in the twilight. Charles almost didn’t notice how Raven, Hank and many of the other teachers and students who stayed over summer looked on and cheered.

 

The two of them reach the café and once inside and at a table, neither of them can stop looking at the other, clasping hands over the table and allowing the steam of their coffee to billow up. Neither of them can contain the adrenaline coursing through them and now they’re away from the doctors, reality has sunk in a bit more.

 

“Did you image the result would be that?” Charles asks, and Erik is taken aback by the sudden addressing of what they had both been avoiding for so long.

 

“I honestly don’t know…” It’s hard to get the words out but there’s something about this sudden turn of events and the return to normality, which makes it easier knowing anything he says, is in the hypothetical and abstract. “At first I was determined that you’d get through it, my anger powered me through thinking that, but my anger about being cheated out of our happily-ever-after, turned to worry. After you got weaker I started to panic and then towards the end I think all my hope had been drained. I think honestly, I had prepared myself more towards the worst… at least that way the heartbreak might be smaller.” Erik’s throat tightens and he can feel his eyes stinging again. Charles kisses Erik’s hand.

 

“It’s okay, Erik. You’ve been holding on to this for a long time. We both have. But I’m not going anywhere. I promised you in my vows that I’d never leave you.” He wipes a tear from Erik’s cheek and tries to soothe his emotions without smothering them.

 

“I wasn’t ready to be a widower,” Charles being able to block out the world from prying in, makes it so much easier to have these moments of intimacy and heartfelt conversations, and all around them no one looks as he sobs. “I’ve lost you once before, out of my own stupidity, and I couldn’t loose you again. I’ve lost nearly everyone I’ve ever loved and all I’ve wanted was to watch us grow old together.” Charles tugs Erik’s hand to pull him around the table onto his side of the booth so the two can wrap their arms around each other. He pulls Erik down for a kiss, cradling his face between his hands and stroking his fingers through his facial hair and letting Erik try and recompose himself.

 

_It’s okay. It’s okay Erik._ Charles whispers over and over whilst he strokes his shoulder.

 

“We’ve got the rest of our lives to think about. Christmas holidays coming up, Summer only a few months after that and every moment in between. Just you, me, Jean and Wanda. Let’s discuss how to spend all the time we now have. Okay?” Erik nods and lets out a shaky laugh.

 

They cuddle up together, drink their coffee and discuss the future, enjoying this passage of time alone before they have to go back to the school and tell everyone the great news. There’s a great feeling knowing they wont have to face the looks of a hundred disappointed students and teachers, and be able to tuck their kids in at night, being able to smile at them knowing they’re not hiding anything.

 

The taxi pulls up outside Xavier’s School and as Erik pushes Charles up the ramp and through the doors, across the glistening wooden floors, he see’s Hank waiting anxiously by the lamp light, and as their eyes meet, Erik swells up with pride and winks at him reassuringly, watching relief in Hanks face; the same relief they will be shared around the entire school.

 

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was quite an impromptu piece! I never originally thought I would write more but there was something about my last chapter that I thought needed some closure and even though it's been a long time, better late than never! Hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave a comment. Thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! :)


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